guess it could be worse.
He leaned back against the wall, the General forgotten, and waited for his friends.
Chapter 15
––––––––
E riis City
14 years after the War of the Door, Eriisai calendar
70 years later, Mistran calendar
Inside the Arch
As Aelle and Ilaan walked arm in arm through the royal wing, arguments momentarily set aside, Ilaan said, "I like him. Strange but deep, I think. Doesn't say much, though, does he?"
" Please do not call him Beast," Aelle asked, although she was pretty sure the sand was out of the bottle. She was mentally burning off her hair for ever letting Ilaan hear her say it.
"Are you joking? He liked it."
She laughed, her face a perfect mask, and nodded at an acquaintance of their fathers. Lady something or other. She had two maids in tow, all richly dressed in shades of sand and grey. Since they had learned to control their internal temperatures, the fashion had returned to pre-war embroidered and brocaded robes and gowns. Both maids carried baskets; one of flowers and the other of bread. Neither had any fragrance whatsoever, but that was what you got when you transformed sand. Flowers were a huge luxury, she must be having a party. The bread—Aelle suspected—was for the poor. That was how it worked—wealth with one hand, charity with the other.
Aelle's smile vanished as soon as the woman was out of sight. "Liked it? When you called him a beast I thought he was going to pull your arms off."
"Unlikely! Anyway, if we called him Tiny or Lumpy or Slim or something, that would be insulting. Beast, though. That's a proper name to strike fear in an enemy's heart."
She hesitated, then said, "Father will be pleased that you like him."
"Father will be pleased when you take the High Seat."
She pulled him to a halt. "Don't say that," she hissed. "Someone might hear you. That Lady or one of her maids might have heard you. Maybe you want an audience with the queen...."
"She is amazing."
" Rushta !" she swore, "Shut up! This is just what Father is talking about."
"You know it, I know it, Father invented it, your big friend back in the books certainly knows it. Does he think you're spending all your time with him because he's so pretty? He may be a beast but he's hardly stupid. What do you think he tells himself? ' Oh, Aelle, she can't resist me' ...."
Aelle opened and shut her mouth a few times. Finally she looked at the ground and said, "I like him. Really . A lot." She fixed her brother with a burning look. "If you say something clever you're dead where you stand."
He crossed his arms and put his chin in his hand. "Just tell me how I can help."
She let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you for turning down your...'you-ness' for me."
"You really do think he's the rain! Oh no, how embarrassing for you!"
"And it’s back."
The boy laughed and took her arm as they continued towards the kitchens. "Just because it’s what Father wants doesn't mean we can't make it into something for ourselves. Let's get some sarave that won't kill us all and go read some books."
Chapter 16
––––––––
"All these dresses and no one to wear them—honestly, darling, people are starting to talk. One mad woman shouldn’t put you off an entire gender." Cybelle dos Shaddoch popped a chocolate in her mouth and shut the wardrobe.
The Duke glared at her from the doorway. "When I want your opinion... never mind," he said. "It’ll never happen."
She laughed. "You depend on me and you know it. And I’m of the opinion you need someone other than your horse to talk to."
-The Claiming of the Duke, pg 12
Malloy Dos Capeheart, Little Gorda Press (out of print)
––––––––
M istra
80 years after the War of the Door, Mistran Calendar
16 years later, Eriisai calendar
Va’Everly Residence
"... and they got red eyes, see?" The little girl looked up from the floor and held out the book she’d been drawing in for her older sister’s inspection.
"What? Who has red
He leaned back against the wall, the General forgotten, and waited for his friends.
Chapter 15
––––––––
E riis City
14 years after the War of the Door, Eriisai calendar
70 years later, Mistran calendar
Inside the Arch
As Aelle and Ilaan walked arm in arm through the royal wing, arguments momentarily set aside, Ilaan said, "I like him. Strange but deep, I think. Doesn't say much, though, does he?"
" Please do not call him Beast," Aelle asked, although she was pretty sure the sand was out of the bottle. She was mentally burning off her hair for ever letting Ilaan hear her say it.
"Are you joking? He liked it."
She laughed, her face a perfect mask, and nodded at an acquaintance of their fathers. Lady something or other. She had two maids in tow, all richly dressed in shades of sand and grey. Since they had learned to control their internal temperatures, the fashion had returned to pre-war embroidered and brocaded robes and gowns. Both maids carried baskets; one of flowers and the other of bread. Neither had any fragrance whatsoever, but that was what you got when you transformed sand. Flowers were a huge luxury, she must be having a party. The bread—Aelle suspected—was for the poor. That was how it worked—wealth with one hand, charity with the other.
Aelle's smile vanished as soon as the woman was out of sight. "Liked it? When you called him a beast I thought he was going to pull your arms off."
"Unlikely! Anyway, if we called him Tiny or Lumpy or Slim or something, that would be insulting. Beast, though. That's a proper name to strike fear in an enemy's heart."
She hesitated, then said, "Father will be pleased that you like him."
"Father will be pleased when you take the High Seat."
She pulled him to a halt. "Don't say that," she hissed. "Someone might hear you. That Lady or one of her maids might have heard you. Maybe you want an audience with the queen...."
"She is amazing."
" Rushta !" she swore, "Shut up! This is just what Father is talking about."
"You know it, I know it, Father invented it, your big friend back in the books certainly knows it. Does he think you're spending all your time with him because he's so pretty? He may be a beast but he's hardly stupid. What do you think he tells himself? ' Oh, Aelle, she can't resist me' ...."
Aelle opened and shut her mouth a few times. Finally she looked at the ground and said, "I like him. Really . A lot." She fixed her brother with a burning look. "If you say something clever you're dead where you stand."
He crossed his arms and put his chin in his hand. "Just tell me how I can help."
She let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you for turning down your...'you-ness' for me."
"You really do think he's the rain! Oh no, how embarrassing for you!"
"And it’s back."
The boy laughed and took her arm as they continued towards the kitchens. "Just because it’s what Father wants doesn't mean we can't make it into something for ourselves. Let's get some sarave that won't kill us all and go read some books."
Chapter 16
––––––––
"All these dresses and no one to wear them—honestly, darling, people are starting to talk. One mad woman shouldn’t put you off an entire gender." Cybelle dos Shaddoch popped a chocolate in her mouth and shut the wardrobe.
The Duke glared at her from the doorway. "When I want your opinion... never mind," he said. "It’ll never happen."
She laughed. "You depend on me and you know it. And I’m of the opinion you need someone other than your horse to talk to."
-The Claiming of the Duke, pg 12
Malloy Dos Capeheart, Little Gorda Press (out of print)
––––––––
M istra
80 years after the War of the Door, Mistran Calendar
16 years later, Eriisai calendar
Va’Everly Residence
"... and they got red eyes, see?" The little girl looked up from the floor and held out the book she’d been drawing in for her older sister’s inspection.
"What? Who has red
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